Chef Robert Ramsay’s Smoked Brisket

Robert Ramsay is chef/owner of RD86 Space in New London, CT which has been nominated as Eastern Connecticut’s Restaurant of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Robert shared his brisket secrets on the 2 Keto Dudes podcast in September, 2019. This is Carl Franklin’s adaptation of his basic recipe.

The recipe is so simple yet produces the most delicious brisket you’ve ever tasted. Chef Robert was quite self-depricating on the podcast about his brisket-making talents, but rest-assured, this brisket is to die for!

It starts with selecting a brisket at your local butcher shop or grocery. Make sure there is plenty of fat on it. Ask your butcher to give you an “untrimmed” brisket. What happens is that the sections where fat has been removed get dry and stringy, whereas the fat-covered parts become tender and juicy.

The first step is to rub the brisket with salt and pepper. Carl adds a little allulose (sugar-free sweetener) to cut the saltiness and add more flavor.

Next, he smokes the brisket at about 200F for four hours. That’s enough time to let the smoke penetrate the meat. Finally, he bakes it at 250F in the oven (in an oven bag) for another 4 hours. After that, it’s ready to slice and eat.

Brisket can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator. A good idea is to cut it into individual portions, which you can reheat later in a saucepan or with a sous vide device such as the Anova Precision Cooker.